Tobacco tying devices



Dec. 19, 1967 WERRETT 3,359,031

TOBACCO TYING DEViCES Filed Oct. 4, 1965 Attorneys United States Patent ()fiice 3,359,031 Patented Dec. 19, 1967 3,359,031 TOBACCO TYING DEVICES Richard George Werrett, Bindura, Southern Rhodesia, as-

signor to Werrett Enterprises (Private) Limited, Bindura, Southern Rhodesia, a corporation of Rhodesia Filed Oct. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 492,726 Claims priority, application Southern Rhodesia, Oct. 5, 1964, 319/64 4 Claims. (Cl. 294-55) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tobacco tying device having an elongated corrugated strip of metal with holes pierced approximately midway between the crests and the troughs of the corrugations. A resiliently deformable leaf butt retaining element in the form of a square section band is twisted about its longitudinal axis extending through the holes in the strip of metal and is anchored at a plurality of points along the length thereof.

This invention relates to Tobacco Tying Devices of the type adapted to secure several hands of tobacco by the leaf butts for transportation from the field to the curing barns, and for suspension in the barns during the curing process.

There are many tying devices on the market which serve the purpose more or less satisfactorily. Amongst the better known are the tobacco tying pins or spikes which are arranged actually to pierce the butts, so as to suspend the leaves side by side. Two obvious disadvan tages of this method of tying the leaves are the damage to the leaf at the point Where it is pierced, and the fact that a slight pull on the leaf will tend to split the butt or even tear the leaf away from the spike. Whilst being transported the spiked leaves tend to rub against one another and thus cause damage. They may also move erratically back and forth along the spike as the reaper or carrier bends and straightens himself, so causing enlargement of the hole in the leaf butt, with consequent loss of value of the cured leaf.

The well known tobacco stick also suffers considerable disadvantages. One of the main factors here is the use of pieces of string, cut to predetermined lengths, which are used to secure the leaves to the stick. These pieces of string are generally regarded as irrecoverable and constitute an expense to the farmer.

Another widely used form of tying device comprises an elongated member provided with a plurality of springs formed into an N shape and slidable along two limbs of the member. Reaped tobacco leaves are inserted between the N shaped springs which are held apart by the fingers and then released onto the tobacco leaf butts.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved tying device that will at least minimize the disadvantages inherent in known apparatus.

According to the invention a tobacco tying device includes an elongated member provided with a plurality of formations disposed transverse the length of the member, the formations being adapted to accommodate tobacco leaf butts, and means associated with the formations adapted resiliently to retain the leaf butts in the formations.

Also according to the invention a tobacco tying device in which the leaf butt accommodating formations are defined by corrugations impressed in a strip of metal sheeting or in a strip of thermostatic material which is then cured. The device is further provided with leaf butt retaining means in the form of a resiliently deformable band of material extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device and abutting the leaf butt accommodating formations.

Further according to the invention a tobacco tying device in which the leaf butt retaining means is a resiliently deformable band of material extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device and which passes through holes formed in the material of the device at points approximately midway between the crests and the troughs of the leaf butt accommodating formations.

In order to illustrate the invention a preferred embodiment is described below with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the device;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention contained in a carrier clip adapted for fitment around the body of a tobacco reaper.

Referring to FIGURE 1, 4 designates the elongated member and 5 the leaf butt accommodating formations. The resiliently deformable retaining means is designated at 6. A pair of holes 7, are provided in the member towards each of its extremities.

The resiliently deformable retaining means 6, passes through holes 8, provided approximately midway between the crests and the troughs of the adjoining formations. To assist to maintain tension in the resiliently deformable retaining means throughout the length of the elongated member, knots 9, may be tied at convenient points as illustrated in FIGURE 2, or the means may be looped round the elongated member as shown at 18 in FIGURE 1.

Referring to FIGURE 3, 10 designates a carrying device adapted to be worn over the shoulders and about the waist of a human being. The carrying device is secured by a broad belt 11, passing around the waist of the wearer, which belt is adjustable at 12 by a hook and eye combination. Shoulder straps 13, are attached to the belt 11, by one of their ends 14, and to the carrier member 10, by their other ends 15. Clamps 16, are provided towards the ends of carrier member 10, and positioned so as to engage apertures 7 in the tying device 4.

In operation carrier member 10 is strapped to the body of the reaper, by means of belt 11, and shoulder straps 13, and a first tying device 4 is clipped into place in clamping members 16. Resilient retaining means 6 is preferably a rubber band of substantially square crosssection which is twisted upon its longitudinal axis to present a fluted appearance. This band may be anchored to the tying device 4 at intervals along its length, for example by passing the band through a hole 8, round the body of device 4 and back through the same hole 8 so as to form a loop. Alternatively, a knot 9 may be formed in band 6 to either side of a hole 8 so preventing the band 6 from being displaced at that point. The reaper then proceeds to pick a hand 17 of tobacco leaves and inserts these, butt ends first, into the space between the resiliently deformable retaining band 6, and the formations 5. In practice the reaper will use the fingers of one hand to strain the deformable band 6 from its normal position prior to inserting the leaf butts and will then release the deformable band which will spring back into its original position, thus clasping the leaf butts firmly into the formations 5.

When a complete stick of tobacco has been reaped in this fashion and all the formations have been filled with hands of tobacco the device is unclamped by manipulation of clamps 16, and the filled tying device 4 is loaded onto a convenient platform to be transported. A fresh tying device 4 is then clamped into position in clamps 16, and the reaping process is repeated.

I claim:

1. A tobacco tying device comprising an elongated member having crests and troughs to form a plurality of formations disposed transversely of the length of said member. for receiving tobacco leaf butts, said member having holes located at points approximately mid-way between said crests and troughs of said formations and a resiliently deformable element to retain the tobacco leaf butts in said formations extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said member and passing through said holes.

2. A tobacco tying device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said elongated member is a corrugated strip of metal sheeting.

3. A tobacco tying device as set forth in claim 1 Wherein said resiliently deformable element is a square section band twisted about its longitudinal axis to have a fluted appearance.

4. A tobacco tying device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said band is anchored at a plurality of points along the length of said elongated member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Examiner.

G. F. ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TABACCO TYING DEVICE COMPRISING AND ELONGATED MEMBER HAVING CRESTS AND TROUGHS TO FORM A PLURALITY OF FORMATIONS DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY OF THE LENGTH OF SAID MEMBER FOR RECEIVING TOBACCO LEAF BUTTS, SAID MEMBER HAVING HOLES LOCATED AT POINTS APPROXIMATELY MID-WAY BETWEEN SAID CRESTS AND TROUGHS OF SAID FORMATIONS AND 